What kind of drinks should I order?

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by SOPi_Jawbreaker

Um, let me just put it this way. They just aren't sure of what to order at the bar, cuz it's not like they can order jungle juice.

I take it ya'll had a Trashcan Punch/$5 all night house.

[Munchkin03]

I'd say a red wine native to that country or region of that country (you seriously will look like an idiot if you order Yellow Tail in Rotterdam) would suffice. I personally would follow the advice of Valkryie, Rudey, and RC. Also, you should be familiar with ordering aperitifs.

Someone said something about ordering what the other women are ordering---ha! What if you, like me, go to a lot of parties where you're the only woman, or the only other woman is old? I would go to client events, and the senior partner of my old firm was old and drank very little. She would order a wine spritzer. Munchkin was not ordering the spritzer, so I'd follow the cue of what the client or construction manger was ordering.

Some of you other people are giving shitty advice.

[macallan25]

Originally Posted by Munchkin03

I'd say a red wine native to that country or region of that country (you seriously will look like an idiot if you order Yellow Tail in Rotterdam) would suffice. I personally would follow the advice of Valkryie, Rudey, and RC. Also, you should be familiar with ordering aperitifs.

Someone said something about ordering what the other women are ordering---ha! What if you, like me, go to a lot of parties where you're the only woman, or the only other woman is old? I would go to client events, and the senior partner of my old firm was old and drank very little. She would order a wine spritzer. Munchkin was not ordering the spritzer, so I'd follow the cue of what the client or construction manger was ordering.

Some of you other people are giving shitty advice.

When ordering wine....you should consider quality above all. There have been Napa Valley reds that have scored higher in many tastings in regions in France. People that know good wines....know good wines. You are going to look like an idiot if you order some shitty bottle simply because it is native to where you are.

If the man is any kind of gentleman....he should order the bottle that is appropriate, so you shouldn't have to worry about it.

[AOIIBrandi]

If you are in a situation where you would order wine by the glass instead of the bottle I suggest picking a variety of red you like (i.e. merlot, pinot noir, shiraz) then you can typically just request a glass of that variety and you won't have to ponder the wine list looking for something you've heard of.

When in doubt take your queue from what your customer orders as they are probably from the area and should be familiar with the customs.

[33girl]

Don't order wine if you try it and really hate it. Screwing up your face in distaste as you swallow is not sophisticated.

If you like beer, get a beer that comes from wherever you are. (Don't get Miller Lite) I think the days of beer = fat dudes on the couch scratching themselves while football is on are pretty much over. But I wouldn't not get beer just because you don't think it's "sophisticated." The most sophisticated thing is to be confident.

[RedRoseSAI]

Originally Posted by macallan25

When ordering wine....you should consider quality above all. There have been Napa Valley reds that have scored higher in many tastings in regions in France. People that know good wines....know good wines. You are going to look like an idiot if you order some shitty bottle simply because it is native to where you are.

A good point, although many people don't know very much about specific vintages and vinyards. Learn what you like about wine, and ask for suggestions based on that. For instance, I don't like very tannic reds, which means that I gravitate towards red zins and pinor noir. There's nothing wrong with asking "What do you recommend in a brighter red?" or "I'm looking for a drier white wine - which is your favorite?"

[LoveMyKeyKKG]

Wow everyone! Thanks so much for all of your responses. I had totally forgotten that I asked this question.

So I see that I will be just fine as long as I stick to white zinfandel, tequila shots and amaretto sours!

Just kidding!

Seriously, thanks, you've given me a lot of options and brought up issues I didn't really consider.